Naval base in lockdown after security breach

Updated
November 30, 2012 14:46:00

Northern Territory police have locked down a navy base in Darwin after weapons were stolen from a patrol boat overnight. Authorities say an intruder overpowered and tied up a crew member before breaking into the boat's armory. It's not yet known what weapons have been taken.

ASHLEY HALL: Police have locked down a Navy base in Darwin after weapons were stolen from a patrol boat overnight.

Authorities say an intruder over-powered and tied up a crew member before breaking into the boat's armoury.

Sara Everingham is in Darwin and she joins us now.

Sara, this is a major security breach, take us through what happened.

SARA EVERINGHAM: Well police say that just before one o'clock this morning they were told that a Defence Force member, a duty member had been assaulted by an intruder, that the intruder had accessed the armoury, as you said, of an Armidale class patrol boat and then left the boat with weapons.

We understand the duty member had been tied up and police say the patrol boat was moored alongside HMAS Coonawarra within Larrakeyah Barracks, which is very close to the city centre of Darwin.

The chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs is in Sydney and he made a brief statement about the incident this morning and he said that the duty officer had obviously had his life threatened and was quite shaken.

RAY GRIGGS: The early hours of this morning, an armed intruder gained access to one of our patrol boats alongside in Darwin, overwhelmed a member of the duty staff, and has managed to remove a number of weapons from the ship.

There's not a lot more I can say other than that the young sailor concerned, who was duty at the time is OK. He's being looked after and that obviously is one of my primary concerns. .

ASHLEY HALL: The chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs.

Sara, do we know what weapons have been stolen?

SARA EVERINGHAM: Well the authorities have not said what weapons were taken or what types of weapons were taken or how many were stolen. Admiral Griggs says the boat - he spoke about what types of weapons the boat carries and he said it carries a variety of weapons, including small arms and larger fixed weapons, that's what it carries.

But he didn't say what types of weapons or how many had been taken.

ASHLEY HALL: And briefly Sara, what sort of investigations are going on?

SARA EVERINGHAM: Well the Northern Territory police are investigating, along with Defence and the Australian Federal Police. The base has been in lockdown this morning and police have been searching all the cars leaving the base.

It's still not clear whether the intruder got to the boat by land or by sea. Admiral Griggs says he's very concerned about this security breach and it wasn't something he expected to happen.

RAY GRIGGS: Well that's something that we need to obviously look into very carefully. There is, as I said, an investigation underway from a police perspective but I've also initiated a review of security on board our ships and establishments this morning.